SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Reparations Task Force says Black Californians lost $800 billion due to over policing, housing discrimination and other discriminatory practices.
Gov. Gavin Newsom created the task force in 2020 to investigate the long-lasting impact of slavery on African Americans and ways to make amends.
Headlines Wednesday morning said reparations given to Californians who qualify could total $800 billion, but experts at a Wednesday meeting clarified the total is the estimate of the loss – the task force could ultimately decide to give back less, just as much or more.
Dozens of Californians called into the hearing and showed up in person to show support.
“We know some of the state and local entities that took property and land from black families… far too many black families to speak to individually here today,” said Dawn Bosiano, who supports the task force.
Only one called in to voice their opposition.
“Slavery ended 160 years ago. It's wrong to ask taxpayers — many from families like mine who came to the U.S. after slavery ended — to pay for the wrongs of slavery,” said the anonymous caller.
The estimated loss of $800 billion doesn’t include how much the descendants’ community may have lost from the devaluation of Black business or unjust property takings.
“I think it's improper to prejudge what the precise number we may recommend may be, but we're only giving you our expert advice on the specific harms. The task force has full latitude to ignore it, to add to it,” said economic expert William Spriggs.
To put the number in perspective, the entire state budget is $300 billion.
The task force is still trying to make determinations, including who should be considered to get reparations and how long they’ve lived in California.
The meeting continues Thursday. The deadline to make a final decision is July 1. The task force will make a recommendation to the legislature by the deadline and then they will have to decide to adopt them.
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